Frederick
by Dracostarfire84
Summary: Young Frederick Crane has been expelled from the prestigious 'Mulberry Academy' and finds himself tossed into the public school system by his psychiatrist of the year mother 'Lilith' and clueless, popular celebrity schmoozing stepfather.


**Frederick 1.0: "No 'I' in Team"**

Frederick Crane sat alone on the bleachers reading a chapter of _"Heart of Darkness"_ during physical education class, at the prestigious Mulberry Academy; a boarding school for boys, and one of the premier institutions in the greater Boston area. The PE instructor, Coach McGregor who had been overseeing the boys' basketball game, looked over in Frederick's direction and blew his whistle sharply;

"Crane!" He screamed across the gymnasium, "Why aren't you in the game with your fellow brothers!?" He questioned. Frederick looked up from his book, briefly glanced over at the boys playing basketball then back to his book; "They seem to be faring well enough without me." He said dryly. "That is not the point CRANE!" the couch screeched. "This is a TEAM sports class!" McGregor cried, "And there is most certainly no 'I' in the word TEAM!" He hollered, his face having grown a bright shade of red and a noticeably large vein on his neck began throbbing. "Coach McGregor, I hate to break it to you but I'm really more of a 'lonewolf', meaning I don't play so well with others." Frederick explained, "If you don't believe me you can direct message anyone on my xbox friends list." He added. "Really it's for the best that I take one for the team by sitting out here and contemplating the mysteries of life; like what is the meaning of life and why does everything seem to circle back to playing 'shirts versus skins' and showering with a bunch of other naked guys?" Frederick mused sarcastically. "Communal shower time is a God-given privilege and a rite of passage!" McGregor yelled vehemently, his neck vein visibly throbbing harder, "And you will NOT diminish its importance on juvenile growth and acceptance you-you 'know-it-all' SMARTASS!" He screamed now at full volume, the other boys having since taken notice and long quit the game to support their coach. "Don't bother with this one coach," hissed one of the athletes, "He's more of a 'mathlete' than an actual athlete!" He crowed rudley. "That's funny Jimmy, it'll be less funny when MIT rejects your sports-based application, but hey you can always fallback on being a gym teacher, and there's what you can look forward to." Frederick droned gesturing to Coach McGregor with his free hand, the coach who in turn began to visibly fume from the nostrils to which Frederick smirked oh so slightly.

An hour later Frederick is seated before School Director Colin Campbell with Lilith Sternin sitting opposite of Frederick. Director Campbell eyeballed Frederick before turning his gaze upon Lilith;

"Doctor Sternin it is with my deepest and most sincerest condolences that I call you away from you work." He droned out. "That's quite alright Director Campbell, I was merely in attendance at a women's denial seminar, and frankly too many of those 'chicks' are in denial." Lilith said bluntly. "I'm afraid to say that this situation concerns your son Frederick." Director Campbell announced turning his gaze to Frederick for a moment, "I had assumed that was the case, given his attendance at this meeting." Lilith acknowledged. "Now Doctor Sternin you realize that years ago I had forbade yourself and your former spouse from ever setting foot on the school premises, under pretext of having Frederick expelled and a campus-wide ban placed into effect on the whole family." Director Campbell explained, "Yes I must say that when I got the call to actually appear in person I was quite surprised, I had wondered if you may have forgotten about our minor mishap so many Thanksgivings ago." Lilith admitted. "I assure you madam that the memory is still as fresh as the day it occurred." the Director replied "Oh I see..." Lilith said with a cough. "Now the context of this meeting is quite simple really; Frederick has broken the rules twice now, he actively refuses to participate in the boys' physical education curriculum and routinely challenges the opinions of the school lecturers and staff." Director Campbell added. Lilith turned her head to Frederick staring at him with her usual blank gaze, "Frederick, while you know that I do encourage to challenge the opinions of others, perhaps the classroom isn't the best place for it?" Lilith suggested. "Actually MOTHER, I'd argue that the classroom is in fact the best place for it, I mean isn't the entire idea of the American Educational Institution to challenge ideas and provoke stimulating discussion?" Frederick asked, "Of course that really only applies IF the school hasn't already been compromised by the all-important value of the dollar, and is now merely yet another soulless manufactory; churning out husks of former intelligent life all in order to feed back into the systemic oppression source-funded by autocratic CEOS and monopolized corporations." Frederick explained before returning to his book, his mother and the director exchanging looks of unimpressed horror.

"Do you see Doctor Sternin?" The Director groaned, "This is the sort of 'radical behavior' that is unfit for the Mulberry Academy." He added. "Ah I see..." Lilith merely droned in response. "Frederick's behavior has been abhorrent at worst and mildly upsetting at best," The Director complained. "We tolerated his little 'goth' phase for what it was and allowed it to run its course, however now that he has moved on and matriculated into higher grades, we expected MORE of Frederick." The Director explained. "I'm sorry Director Campbell I'm not sure what you could mean, I'm well aware that Frederick's scores test highest in the nation, and he has already been pre-selected to attend the NASA school for kids." Lilith rebutted. "Yes and that is all fine and well except how do I put this; 'Frederick is awful'." Director Campbell blurted bluntly. "I see..." Lilith replied as she sank into her chair. "That wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be." The Director said with a smile, "Frederick, you're expelled from Mulberry Academy," Director Campbell announced happily. "Thank God!" Frederick said relieved. "Now please leave the campus Doctor Sternin, and take Frederick with you."

On the drive home there was silence between Lilith and Frederick, which was fine for Frederick's teenage persona, however Lilith was conflicted being a renown psychologist as well as a parent; her nurturing side was poking through. Lilith glanced down at Frederick from time to time throughout the drive, though Frederick merely stared out the window.

"So you don't want to discuss this situation?" Lilith queried. "What's left to talk about; I broke the rules and got kicked out. End of story." Frederick replied. "Yes but I just want to know WHY you were expelled." Lilith stated. Frederick just shrugged, and continued staring out the window at the vast pastures and farmlands unblinkingly. "Because stifling critical thinking and creativity makes it easier to herd the masses?" he guessed. Lilith glared at Frederick for a second, "Frederick, from where did you glean this rhetoric?" Lilith questioned concerned. "I didn't learn it from anywhere, It's what I observed with my two eyes, ears, and what's left of my functioning juvenile brain." Frederick replied. "Well are you happy that you are no longer enrolled at the prestigious Mulberry Academy?" Lilith asked. "Yes actually, I'm thrilled and I feel as euphoric as Odysseus' men eating the lotuses." Frederick admitted. "We are most definitely going to have a family meeting once we arrive at home." Lilith declared as she signaled and merged onto the coming byway.

Lilith drove her silver Jetta Volkswagen up to and parked in the driveway of the Sternin-Bancroft manor, in the nicer parts of West Roxbury, Boston. Frederick popped open the passenger side door and slipped out, "Don't go anywhere young man we have a pending conversation with your father-in-law." Lilith reminded. "Please, he's just the guy you cohabitate and merged checking accounts with." Frederick groaned. Lilith glared at Frederick as she stepped out of the car, "Of course I will have to alert your father, he will most likely be in hysterics about this." Lilith stated. "When ISN'T he in hysterics?" Frederick noted. "Good point." Lilith replied.

Frederick walked up the cobbled pathway to the porch of the luxurious Sternin-Bancroft manor and pushed open the front door and stepped into the foyer, being greeted only by the echo of his own footsteps. As Frederick ascended the grand spiral staircase, Lilith entered and closed the door; "Remember family meeting tonight, don't leave the premises!" She shouted up the stairs, but Frederick had already slammed shut his bedroom door by then.

In Frederick's room the walls were painted black (a leftover from his goth phase), Frederick turned on his boombox (a remnant from the nineties and a gift from his Father's housekeeper, Daphne) and blared a Killswitch Engage song as he lay on the bed staring up at the ceiling, black light posters of various metal, rock and death metal bands adorned the walls and ceiling of his bedroom. Suddenly there was a sharp and brisk pounding at his bedroom door, Frederick sighed, rolled his eyes and got up to see who it was; standing in the doorway was a tallish fair-skinned blond-haired young man who dressed as an average teenager would; stylish t-shirt and expensive name brand denim jeans. He stood with his arms folded glaring at Frederick, "Can I help you?" Frederick asked with a deadpan expression. "Yea you can like turn your crappy music off so I can study!" The teen blurted angrily. "Study? That's a good one, I didn't know you were a comedian." Frederick replied. "I'm serious!" the teen stated, "I have tests all week and I have to study like twenty-four seven!" He cried. "Don't tell me Pearce, they're finally potty-training you to use the 'big boy' toilet?" Frederick guessed, "It's difficult at first but it shouldn't take ALL WEEK." He added. "Just turn your crappy music down or I'm telling my dad!" Pearce threatened. "Go ahead, Alaire's too afraid of me to even approach me much less make direct eye contact." Frederick replied smugly. "That's because you're a freak, and he doesn't feel comfortable around freaks!" Pearce replied before storming off down the hall and into his room. "He sure felt comfortable enough to help spawn one though." Frederick noted before returning to his room.

Frederick returned to his bed before eventually passing out. A few short hours later he awoke to a clamor downstairs, he sat up and distinctly heard muffled voices arguing passionately, though as if they tried keeping their discussion quiet, it was obviously Lilith and Alaire arguing. "I guess they started the meeting without me." Frederick thought to himself. Frederick rose to his feet and approached the bedroom door, slowly opening it and sticking his head out into the hall only to hear the arguing even more legibly. "He's supposed to be in that school!" A man's voice argued, "Well what was I supposed to do?" A woman's voice argued back. Frederick slowly descended the stairs until he was two steps from the bottom and was able to discretely witness his mother and her husband's verbal exchange;

"I just don't think he fits in here is all." Said Alaire, a tall blond-haired man with an obvious mall-purchased tan. "And just where IS he supposed to fit in Alaire, Mulberry was something Frasier and I decided ages ago and now that's gone!" Lilith groaned. "Well I don't know, maybe there's another boarding school...how about in Finland, or Switzerland?" Alaire suggested. "As much as I want the best education for my son, that does not mean that I want him having to acquire it from fifty-two thousand miles across the equator!" Lilith snarled annoyed. "Fine then you figure something out, you're the Doctor with a dozen titles!" Alaire said mockingly. "It's four; four titles not a dozen." Lilith corrected, "And WE will figure something out, we're a family." Lilith concluded. "Are we though?" Frederick interjected as he descended the last two steps. "Ah Frederick, there you are." Lilith declared nervously, attempting to hide her embarrassment. "Hi champ!" Alaire said with a fake smile. "I'm a champion, of what?" Frederick rebuked. "I dunno...math league?" Alaire replied annoyed. "See this is why I don't like talking to him!" Alaire complained to Lilith. "Alright, alright we will sort this out in a calm and orderly manner." Lilith declared. "Well I think I can summarize things up; Alaire wants me out of his sight, preferably out of the country and you're so caught up with playing the perfect 'shrink' that you can't take off your psychiatrist glasses for a second to just call Dad, you know the one who's opinion actually matters." Frederick stated, to the shock and horror of his mother and step-father. "Hey now I never said I wanted you gone!" Alaire replied defensively, "We like having you here, we just want you to be comfortable." He added. "Yea you sure do a good job of showing it; like conspiring with my mother to get me sent to a boarding school in Europe, and routinely reminding your sons that I'm a weirdo...you can't buy that kind of comfort anywhere." Frederick droned bluntly. "Now Frederick we're really trying to have a discussion here." Lilith interjected. "Really?" Frederick quipped, "Because until just now it sure seemed a lot like an agitated 'back and fourth' between two unwilling parties." Frederick noted. "Can't send him to boarding school because how could I show him off to the neighbors." Frederick mocked, "Can't send him to Seattle because his dad is a 'kook'." He added. "And we can't have him enrolled anywhere remotely in close proximity to where Alaire's offpsring might be, because we wouldn't want the 'weirdness' to catch on." Frederick continued, "So it looks like home school it is." He said with obviously fake enthusiasm. "So what's for dinner?" He groaned, "All of this arguing to feel correct has made me hungry." He added.

Later that night after several truces and a stalemate, the family sat around a dinner table for order-in pizza. "So Frederick, after much deliberation...your stepfather and I have come to a consensus." Lilith announced, "We have decided that as of tomorrow you will be starting your sophomore year at Meridian High School." She added with slight side smirk. "WHAT!?" Pearce shrieked from across the table. "Oh I'm already enjoying this." Frederick replied. "Now Frederick this wasn't intended as either a punishment or a reward." Lilith stated. "Okay, then what is it?" Frederick questioned, causing Lilith and Alaire to exchange glances. "Normal." She replied before taking a bite of her pizza. "This is not going to work I can already tell!" Pearce groaned. "It's not even tomorrow yet, how would you know?" Alaire queried. "Because he's an egghead weirdo and is going to shrink my popularity from ten-thousand to ten." Pearce complained. "Well look on the bright side, you'll still have more than Oolong or Bulma." Frederick joked. "SEE!?" Pearce cried, "He's not ever enrolled yet and he's already making his weirdo jokes!" He added. "Now remember Frederick, just because you're going to public school now does not mean that you get a free pass to act 'hood' and/or 'gangster'." Lilith announced. "Aw gee mom, I was so looking forward to my first shanking." Frederick groaned sarcastically. "And don't bring any of that rap music home with you either!" Alaire chimed in, "It clashes with the décor." "Oh absolutely!" Lilith agreed, "You know it's a miracle I even caved in allowed that dreadful 'death metal' he likes to be played on such high decibels." Lilith stated. "Of course when you argued and I refused, you ran away for a week." She added. "I didn't run away, I was in my room." Frederick corrected. "That's impossible Frederick I am certain I checked in every viable location for your whereabouts." Lilith replied. "You checked everywhere except the one place I actually was, good job." Frederick rebuked as he scooted his chair out and excused himself from the table, "Oh and I guess you still haven't broken the news to my ACTUAL dad yet?" Frederick assumed, causing Lilith to bite her lower lip and look away. "Damn it!" She cursed under her breath.

The next day Lilith dropped Frederick off at Meridian High School, with Pearce riding along in the backseat. "Pearce you will show your stepbrother around school today won't you?" Lilith inquired hopeful. "What and ruin MY reputation!?" Pearce scoffed before trudging off towards the quad. "Well I'm sure you will meet some fine human specimens who can show you around." Lilith encouraged. "Uh oh mom better watch out, you're starting to act like one of 'them'." Frederick warned before unbuckling his seat belt, slipping out of the Jetta and walking towards the front office.

Once inside Frederick was greeted by a middle-aged blond-haired receptionist who acted as the school secretary, "Hello, is there something I can help you with?" She asked. "Yea Is it too late to call in sick?" Frederick wondered. "C-call in sick, you mean for yourself?" She inquired. "Yes." He replied. "B-but y-you're already here!" She panicked. "Yes and that's why I need to know if it's too late to call in sick, get with the program!" Frederick reiterated annoyed. Just then a tall, thinly man with graying brown hair and spectacles entered the front reception area from the back offices and frowned as he made eye-contact with Frederick. "You needn't worry with that Miss Wall, I will handle young Frederick from here." the man declared.

Frederick followed the tall man through the reception area back to his office within the administrative quadrant of the school. "Please have a seat." He announced as he went behind his desk and sat in his leather office chair. "Frederick, do you know why I brought you to my office?" the man asked. "Because this is my in intervention, and in a minute my mother, father and step-relatives are going to burst out of that closet and really let me have it." Frederick replied sarcastically. "Eh, no." The man corrected, "My name is Doctor Kohn and I'm the school psychologist." "Oh I get it, this is the part where I'm mentally evaluated to see which camp I will be relegated to when the 'New World Order' takes over." Frederick mused. "Your profile never said anything about your 'profound' sense of humor." Dr. Kohn said with a laugh, "Does it mention how I was kicked out from my last school for being smarter than the faculty?" Frederick wondered. "Frederick I'm going to be blunt; Meridian High School is a public school with certain standards and we only wish to place you where your skills can be best put to use." Dr. Kohn explained. "So basically you want to take from an already 'isolationist institution', and hide me away in the shadows wherein hoping I will blend in perfectly into the patchwork of 'faux inclusion' and charity cases or TLDR keep me away from blemishing the 'popular cool people's reputation'." Frederick ended with air quotes. Dr. Kohn removed his spectacles, clearly fuming at this point and regarded Frederick with a narrowing of the eyes, where Frederick merely smirked triumphantly.

Later that day Frederick was escorted into a small classroom held in the basement level of the school. The walls were painted a dull gray and in place of typical desks, where big colorful chairs that sat arranged in a circle. Frederick stepped into the classroom to be stared at by a cadre of different students and the instructor; a woman in her fifties who looked like she was still reliving the seventies. "You must be Frederick, come in I am Miss Marsh, we were just starting group!" She announced cheerfully. "Just take a seat anywhere." She declared waving around with her freehand. Frederick sat in an unoccupied blue chair between an overweight boy wearing a sleeveless black shirt and gray sweatpants who appeared to be sleeping and a fair-skinned, green-eyed boy who had black hair with a red streak through it and dressed mostly in black (black shoes, black skinny jeans, black mesh undershirt) but wore a sleeveless red flannel shirt over it, giving him the appearance of a ruffian. Frederick and the ruffian made brief eye contact before turning their attention to Miss Marsh.

"Now class we have a new student here with us today, everyone let us give a warm, non-invasive welcome to Frederick Crane." Miss Marsh said gently, almost whispering. "Hi Frederick." Whispered most of the class, except for the ruffian who just bellowed; "Hey Freddie," to which Frederick smirked in response. "What we usually do around this time is form a circle like this and go around and allow each other the opportunity to express themselves." Miss Marsh explained. Frederick looked at the overweight kid before turning to Miss Marsh with his hand raised in the air, "Yes Frederick?" she answered. "That kid's been asleep this whole time." Frederick declared. "Oh that's Joshua, sleeping his way of expressing himself and we don't like being invasive so we just let him be." Miss Marsh stated in whisper, once again making Frederick and the Ruffian exchange glances. "Since you're new Frederick, why don't you start us off by telling us a little about yourself." Miss Marsh encouraged. Frederick glanced around the room before returning his gaze to the floor, "Well I'm Frederick Crane, I just enrolled here from Mulberry Academy..." he started, causing a group of students to gasp and whisper among themselves. "I was kicked out preemptively for 'actively being smarter' than the administration, and was threatened by my mother and her cohabitator with the options of public school or complete alienation from society as a whole." Frederick explained. "Well since I'm down here with you all, I think you can guess which choice was made." He added. "Uh...good...Frederick...very...revealing, but good." Miss Marsh stuttered out hesitantly.

Later after the bell for lunch had rang Frederick made his way to his locker, following the instructions written on his 'Meridian School Guide'. Standing at a nearby locker was the ruffian-looking teen from group. "Hey." He uttered dryly. "Hey." Frederick replied. "So that was pretty funny, back in group." The ruffian admitted. "Oh you mean my introductory monologue that I was forced into?" Frederick replied. "Yea you really made her freak out, it was great." The ruffian youth said with a slight chuckle. "Don't worry about the monologues, we all have to do them." He added. "Ugh this is going to be one of those 'emotional voyage' classes isn't it?" Frederick complained. "Oh I'm Wyatt by the way." The Ruffian introduced himself, "My family calls me Frederick, the people I like call me Freddie." Frederick responded. "Freddie it is." Wyatt declared. "So did you take a psych evaluation too?" Wyatt wondered. "Yea, Kohn made me take one as soon as I arrived." Frederick stated. "You said you came from Mulberry Academy, I'm surprised they'd stick you down here with the rest of us dregs of society." Wyatt lamented. "They probably got smart and realized that by alienating me from the rest of the school early, they would have less chances of dealing with a revolt later on." Frederick joked dryly. "Well that was before you met me!" Wyatt declared with a smirk, which Frederick shared in response. "Are we doing anything for lunchtime, where's the cafeteria?" Frederick wondered. "Trust me you don't want to eat there," Wyatt warned. "That's how they get to you, first through your food then through the education system." He added. "Well I am kind of hungry." Frederick groaned. "Come with me, I know a place it's great." Wyatt declared as he led Frederick out of the school and to an off-campus pizza parlor.

"So what's your opinion of the food?" Wyatt prodded. "Well it's better than the routinely microwaved T.V. Dinners that are commonplace in my house." Frederick replied. "You live in the big house over in Roxbury right?" Wyatt asked, "Yea but lot's of houses there are big." Frederick responded. "But not every house has your house's _history_." Wyatt implied before taking a sip of his fountain drink. "What are you talking about Wyatt?" Frederick demanded. "Well I heard that back in the eighties there was this newlywed couple that moved in, but after a couple of weeks strange things began to happen and the husband began to act weird until he eventually went insane and chased his family out with an ax!" Wyatt explained dramatically. "That sounds like the plot to the _'Shining'_." Frederick noted. "Oh, maybe that's where I remember it from." Wyatt replied, "Anyway weird stuff happened there!" He reiterated, wiggling his fingers all spooky-like. "As much as I'd like to continue speculating on my house's questionably haunted history, I really think we should head back to campus now." Frederick declared, rising to his feet.

Later while walking the halls of Meridian High School, Frederick and Wyatt went over their class schedules for the day. "Ugh third period and I have Mrs. Spencer." Wyatt moaned, "What's the problem?" Frederick asked. "She's the remedial art teacher...and she's...terrible." Wyatt answered. "Art seems to be your forte, and it's a refresher course so it should more or less be an easy 'A'." Frederick noted. "That's why I took it, but Mrs. Spencer is a God-awful teacher; she's loud, she doesn't tolerate expression or individual ideas or thought and quickly suppresses any notions of creativity within her purview." Wyatt explained. "Gee are you sure it's not my mother teacher your art class?" Frederick wondered sarcastically. "Ouch, is she really that bad?" Wyatt asked. "Only when she relegates me to the back of her shrink-patient line, which is ninety-percent of the time." Frederick complained. "Man even on Christmas?" Wyatt wondered. "She's Jewish, so no Christmas...and Hanukkah isn't exactly a day at the beach either." Frederick added. "Man, we're seriously going to have invent our own holiday." Wyatt decided, "Hopefully free of corporate-religious greed and influence." Frederick hoped.

Frederick slipped into his third period class, _"United States History"_ with Mr. Roper. Frederick found an empty spot near the back of the class and claimed it for himself. As he gathered his materials from his backpack he turned his head and noticed Joshua, the overweight kid from group dead asleep and drooling over his desk. (_"I bet he has pit crew that cranes him in and out places."_) Frederick thought to himself, "It's going to be a long day." Frederick sighed under his breath.

Later that night, Frederick relaxed on his bed while chatting with Wyatt over his smart phone. "So how was your fourth period?" Wyatt inquired, "Did you get _'Gochberg'_?" he asked. "Yea but he's a pushover," Frederick replied. "Honestly I was expecting someone like my mother." He added. "That's good, you should make it out with at least a _'B'_ now." Wyatt stated. "The dragon lady isn't going to like that." Frederick surmised. "Oh are you parents strict or something?" Wyatt wondered. "Well for the first ten years of my life I wasn't allowed to so much as breathe without '_Doctor Sternin's_' consent, my dad is another matter altogether." Frederick explained. "Wait isn't your dad a popular radio shrink?" Wyatt asked. "Yea I'm _THAT_ Frederick Crane." Frederick groaned. "Well don't worry, most people around here are far too addled on their meds to realize a celebrity when they see one." Just then there was a sharp shout from the hallway, "Frederick Crane, dinner has been served!" his mother shouted. "I gotta go." Frederick said flatly. "Talk to you later." Wyatt said as they ended their conversation.

Frederick descended the stairs down into the living room and crossed into the kitchen and dining room. "Frederick there you are!" His mother exclaimed somewhat enthusiastically, despite still remaining mostly deadpan. "Pull up a seat champ!" Alaire encouraged. Frederick pulled out a chair and sat between his five year-old sister 'Eris' and his stepbrother Pearce. "So tell us, how was your day?" Lilith inquired, "Regale us with tales of your victory over the common populace." she added. "Well the school is pretty looking..." Frederick started, "The carpet could do with an update, and the fluorescent lighting really adds to that _'creepy abandoned building'_ atmosphere." Frederick added. Lilith nodded slowly before glaring at Frederick, "That's nice son, but I really want to know what activities you took part in, how your academic merits were challenged." She stated. "Well I had a psych-evaluation before taking my first class." Frederick admitted. "There was a psychological exam?" Lilith reiterated, "I don't recall any of the administrators mentioning a pending psychological evaluation." she added. "Alaire darling do you recall anything?" She asked looking across the table to her husband, who merely shrugged. "Dear you know I leave all of the important matters, like Frederick, to you." Alaire replied. "I didn't take an evaluation!" Pearce blurted out cockily. "They didn't have any _'Snoopy' _or _'Garfield'_ paint-by-numbers tests, so you were exempt by default." Frederick retorted. "But how was the rest of your day?" Lilith inquired, "Did you get along with your teachers, did you meet anyone intelligent?" She added. "Well my teachers are a mixed-bag at best; some of them are bearable, but most of them hate me because I already know the course material." Frederick explained. "I did meet a cool guy though who seems more aware than the rest of the student body, his name's Wyatt and he lives not far from here." Frederick added. "Cool is good." Alair said encouragingly. "That name sounds alarmingly rural to me." Lilith pointed out. "Honey if this '_Wyatt'_ kid lives in an neighborhood around here then he is anything BUT rural." Alaire explained with a laugh. "Money is _not_ what I'm worried about!" Lilith replied. "Don't worry," Frederick said with a sigh. "You don't have any less control over me than the rest of your patients." he said before standing up and leaving the dining room. Alaire and Lilith sat silent, as Pearce and Eris continued to slurp down their spaghetti. "Eris darling do try to slurp quieter, and less messier." Lilith encouraged.

Meanwhile Frederick stormed off into his bedroom, shut and locked the door, put on a System of A Down CD and retrieved his smart phone. He scrolled the contacts list before finding his dad's name and number. "I could call him and beg him to let me move in with him." Frederick said to himself, "Seattle has to be better than Boston." he added. "That family has to be better than this one." Frederick complained, as he pressed the dial button. "Would he really take me in?" He asked himself. "Or would he just attempt to one up mom as psychiatrist of the year?" He pressed the 'end call' button before tossing his phone onto his bed and walked over to his computer and sitting down. "It's going to be hell here, but at least I have an ally to endure it all with." Frederick said to himself.


End file.
